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ALDI to open Dec. 7

ALDI will open its doors Dec. 7. The supermarket chain renovated the space in the Red Wing Mall vacated by OfficeMax. Samantha Bengs / RiverTown Multimedia

The wait is over — ALDI will open its doors next week. On Thursday, Dec. 7, ALDI will open its Red Wing store, located in the Red Wing Mall at 160 N. Tyler Road. The store is part of an aggressive $3.4 billion investment plan ALDI recently announced. The German-based supermarket chain plans to expand to 2,500 stores in the United States by the end of 2022. ALDI currently has more than 1,600 stores in 35 states, serving more than 40 million customers each month.

"We know Red Wing residents are looking for a great value and quality groceries they love," said Matt Lilla, Faribault division vice president of ALDI. "By offering quality exclusive brand products at affordable prices, ALDI is the answer to customer's needs. Whether shoppers are looking for USDA Choice meats, organic fruits and vegetables, or gluten-free options, we have them covered with an unmatched combination of great-quality products and everyday low prices."

Input from ALDI customers helped shape the look of Red Wing's newest grocery store, offering a modern and convenient shopping experience. Customers will notice a focus on fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery sections. The store will also feature a modern design with open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally-friendly building materials such as recycled materials, energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.

Cost-saving practices

ALDI saves customers money by cutting overhead costs through smart practices, such as an innovative cart system — ALDI shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart from the corral and receive the quarter back upon the cart's return. Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. ALDI also saves shoppers money by keeping stores open during prime shopping times. The Red Wing location will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Sunday.

Grand opening

To celebrate the store's opening, ALDI will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:25 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. Following the ceremony, the first 100 customers will receive a golden ticket, each containing ALDI gift cards of various amounts. Customers will be able to tour the store, sample ALDI exclusive brand products, receive eco-friendly bags while supplies last, and enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win a year's supply of ALDI produce.

Red Wing Area Chamber of Commerce President Patty Brown said there has been a lot of interest at the chamber office since word first broke about the grocery chain possibly coming to Red Wing.

"People have been very excited that they are coming to our community," Brown said. "We feel fortunate that our community will have yet another addition to our business community and another option for grocery shopping for our residents."